Downsizing in London — on your timeline, not under pressure

• By Ken Small, REALTOR® ·
• Ken Small Real Estate Team, London, Ontario ·
• Century 21 First Canadian Corp., Brokerage ·
• Last updated: October 6, 2026 ·
• Reviewed monthly.

“What is my home worth?”

Everything else depends on this number, so we make it real. It is a local estimate of what your home will net you. It is not an inflated figure to win your business.

You see the money you would keep, in writing, before you decide anything. Start with What’s My Home Worth?. Or run your own numbers in the Seller Take-Home Calculator.

What selling with us costs. Our fees are published, not phoned in.

• Launch Retainer: $1,500, up front. It funds the work before your home goes on the market. It is not our margin.
• Listing-side commission: 3%. Charged only when your home sells.
• To the buyer’s brokerage: 2% recommended. That is your call, not ours.
• HST is added on top of all of the above.

The full breakdown is on pricing and fees.

“Where would I even go?”

A bungalow, a condo, or a smaller home closer to family. London and nearby towns like Komoka, Kilworth, Delaware and Dorchester all have options. Each has trade-offs on stairs, upkeep and cost.

Here is what a typical home of each type cost across all LSTAR regions in September 2026:

Source: MLS® HPI benchmark prices, LSTAR / CREA. A benchmark is a typical home of that type, not an average.

What this means for you: a benchmark is a typical home, not yours. Compare the type you own with the type you want. Then we check real homes on real streets.

“How do I sell and buy without ending up in limbo?”

This is the fear that stops people. Sell first, and you may have nowhere to go. Buy first, and you may carry two homes.

Our buyout is built for a move up, not down. On our guarantees page it is called Your Home Sold Guaranteed, or I’ll Buy It™. Your next home must be worth the same or more. Many downsizers buy for less, so for them it will not fit. We tell you on the first call.

Buying the same or more? Here are all six rules, the whole deal in plain English:

1. You buy your next home from one of our own listings, with Ken working for you. Nothing on our list fits? Tell us. We can look at another home you like.
2. Your next home is worth the same or more than the one you are selling.
3. The program runs in London, Ontario, on homes worth up to $500,000. Not rural or country properties. Just outside London, or over that price? Call Ken. We may still be able to do it.
4. Your guaranteed price is your agreed market value, less 7%, less the standard commission. That 7% pays for the risk we take by promising to buy.
5. Your new home closes 120 days after the guarantee is issued.
6. A better offer beats the guarantee. If a buyer offers more while your home is listed, that is the one you take.

Nothing is binding until you and the buyer sign an Ontario Form 100, the Agreement of Purchase and Sale. The rules are on our guarantees page, with more on the Trade-Up Buyout.

If the buyout does not fit, we plan the timing with you. We map both orders, selling first or buying first, against your real numbers. Then we plan the closing dates so you can aim to move once.

“How do I start downsizing?”

1. Get your number first: What’s My Home Worth?
2. Pick the order: selling first or buying first. We map both against your real numbers.
3. Set your closing dates so you can aim to move once.

“Is now even the right time?”

Maybe, maybe not. We will tell you based on your home and the market, not on our need for a listing.

In the City of London, the average sale price changed by -3.8% over a year. The City had 5.7 months of inventory in September 2026. Source: LSTAR and CREA.

What this means for you: these are city-wide numbers. Your street and your price band can move differently, so ask for your own number.

Sometimes the right answer is to wait a season. See the London market report.

How do we sell your home when you are ready?

Once the personal decision is made, the marketing does the heavy lifting. We market your home well past a sign and a listing. See how we sell and our marketing strategy.

We can also prepare your home as a Certified Pre-Owned Home. It is pre-inspected before it lists, so buyers see the facts up front. It is built to attract firm offers.

Who this is not for

• You want the biggest number someone will promise you. We give you the real one.
• You want us to make the call for you. You make every decision; we bring the numbers.
• You need the buyout on a cheaper next home. Its rules need a next home worth the same or more.

What London sellers say

★★★★★

We would 100% recommend Ken Small if you are wanting to sell or purchase a home. After 65 years in the same house, my father and I had a huge task on our hands to clean it out and get it ready to put on the market. We were able to leave most of this with Ken and his team.

We honestly feel we could not have done this without him. He stepped right in and knew what needed to be done. We felt like he was on the same page with us and we had several offers to look at in less than a week. Ken is kind, personable, professional and turned a very stressful situation into a worry-free one for us once he was on the job.

Awesome job Ken, we can’t thank you enough. We second the other reviewer’s opinion that Ken goes above and beyond!

Denise F. · Seller · Aug 2024 · via Google

4.9 average from 14 Google reviews, as shown on our reviews page (October 2026). Read every review →

Common questions about downsizing in London